1. Field of the Invention
The invention provides a system for adapting a hat of the type which is originally provided with only a permanent sweat band, so that the hat can receive a removable, washable, and reusable sweat band. Hats or caps may also be manufactured with the system in place.
2. Description of the related art
A hat or cap may be provided with a sweatband to improve the comfort of a wearer in warm weather, during exercising, or in other situations which may cause the wearer to sweat. Such a sweat band is usually permanently sewn into the inside of the hat. Examples of such hats include golf hats and cowboy hats. This permanent construction results in several problems to the wearer.
First, the sweat band can absorb only a limited amount of sweat. When the band is soaked with sweat the wearer has only two options: either to wear the hat which is made uncomfortable by the soaked sweat band, or to remove the hat and expose the head to direct sunlight.
Second, after weeks or months of wear, the accumulated sweat in the sweat band tends to render the hat malodorous. This condition becomes noticeable to not only the wearer, but also to those around him. It is commonly accepted that the only cure for this condition is to throw away the hat and to buy a new hat. The owner may be reluctant to discard a hat which may be expensive or to which the owner has developed a sentimental attachment.
It is known to provide a disposable sweat band in hats of the "hard hat" or "safety helmet" type. However, hats of this type are constructed with a hard plastic headband which provides a surface which can readily receive a strip of contact adhesive backed absorbent material. When the absorbent material has exceeded its useful life, the disposable sweatband is pealed off from the hard plastic headband and disgarded. The sweatband can not be reused. Such a disposable sweatband can not be used in a hat which is (1) non-adjustable and already a comfortable fit, and so leaves no room for the insertion a bulky disposable sweatband, and (2) has no plastic surface to which the adhesive backing of a disposable insert may be affixed, and no rigid-ring like structure around which a disposable sweat band may be mounted.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,126 teaches an adhesive liner which is adhered to the forehead contacting flap of a hard hat. The liner is attached by means of an adhesive which is preferably a double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,210 teaches a disposable sweat liner for safety hats, which liner is made of a fabric similar to diapers. The liner is fixed to the existing annular plastic headband carried inside the safety hat by means of pressure sensitive adhesive tabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,095 teaches a hard hat liner of a construction for fitting over the rim of a hard hat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,817 teaches a liner fastened to a hard annular hat band with snap fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,157 teaches a hat or cap with an adjustable sweat band mounted using a bulky VELCRO construction as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,600 teaches a hat having a sweat band which is adjustable by means of VELCRO, but which is not removable, washable, and reusable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,548 teaches a removable liner for fitting around the head band of a hard hat, which liner has a construction as shown in FIG. 2.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,504 teaches a disposable pad-type sweat absorber releasably adhered to a head covering, which may be a hat, cap, surgical head covering, wig, safety helmet, welding mask, etc. (col 3, line 24). The back surface of the liner is coated with an adhesive material for releasably securing the liner to the interior of the head covering (col. 2, line 25; col. 5, lines 44-60). The adhesive is coated onto a backing sheet which backing sheet provides an effective water barrier.
These patents are all concerned with head coverings which have a rigid plastic head liner to which a disposable, sweat-absorptive liner having a contact adhesive backing may be easily adhered. There is, however, nothing in the above-discussed state of the art which shows how to address the problems inherent in hats made of cloth, leather, straw or felt, into which have been permanently sewn sweat bands or elastic cloth liners. The teachings of these patents can not be adapted to, e.g., golf hats or cowboy hats which are constructed of different materials and have no hard plastic headband for receiving an adhesive backed liner.